Method and apparatus for manufacturing feather cottons



Sept. 3, 1940. M, KOGA 2,213,316

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING FEATHER COTTONS Filed Jan. l2, 1939 @Notturni Patented Sept. 3, 1940 METHD AND APPARATUS FOR MANU- FACTURJN G FEATHER. COTTONSV Moilchiro Koga, Tokyo, Japan Appiicationlianury 12,1939,seria1N0.250,661i l l Y* InJapanAugust 22,1938- i j invention relates-"tov Ya method of andan apparatus for manufacturing feather cottonsV adaptedfor use ascushionsL and mattresses, and has for its objectthe provision of s oft, fbowed, e1astic, flexible andexpansible feather cottons of ,superior quality, which-lare freefromworms and. have sufficient durability and moisture-proof .,nature'necessaryfor feathercottons.

v Itis .another object ofmy invention to produce feather cottons from'all sorts of feathers of landfowl's, particularly chickens. Chicken feathers are not sufciently Waterproofas compared with feathers-of Waterfowls and are liable to absorb moisture and to loose the elasticity and expansibility and other necessary properties so that the feathers of chickens do not show full advantages as feather cottons.

The principal object of my invention is to improve the manner in which vthe feathers are treated so as to be provided on one hand with a permanent curl which insures the durability of elasticity and expansibility and on the other .hand with a sufficient moisture-proof nature without damaging the structure of the feather.

An apparatus for practicing the method of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of the feather curling machine.

Fig. 2 shows a partial sectional plan View of the same.

In the drawing: l represents a roller cylinder, adapted to cooperate with a smaller roller cylinder 2. Both cylinders are rotatably supported in bearings mounted on opposite walls of a casing 3. 4 is a hot fluid source, for instance a steam generator or a hot air generator. 5 is a pipe which conducts the hot uid into the cylinder l. 6 is a waste fluid receiver, for instance a condenser. 'I is a cold water source. 8 is a pipe which conducts cold fluid into the cylinder 2.v

9 and l0 -are driving pulleys and Il, l2, I3 represent stutng boxes respectively. The two cylinders l and 2 have different peripheral speed so that a certain degree of slip is caused between the outer surfaces.

According to my invention the feathers are longitudinally fed between hot and cold rollers and pressed into a curved shape by heating one side and simultaneously cooling the other side. By this procedure a certain small amount of gelatinous substance inherent in the feathers melts and spreads out and by cooling the feather with the small roller cylinder, the gelatinous fluid again solidies and serves as cementing agent inherent gelatinous substance isemployed as the land formalin'.y This solution soaks into'q'the VYstructure of the: feather owing to the latterls lack 25 -of moisture proof nature. VThefmixtureofgelatine and glycerine adds to therfeatherthe desired iiexibility and toughness. By thesame..proce dure formalin., enters into the, structure of r-the feather, thereby tho-roughlyY disinfecting the 10 sorbed'.` on.. the surfaces" of 'thelfeather; forms 4a moisture-proof lil'm overthe extrir'surfacof the feather so that the feather becomes moistur-proof without damaging the toughness and strength or durability of the. feather. This procedure increases the permanence of elasticity and expansibility to a remarkable extent.

If the present method is applied to the feathers of water-fowls, more perfect feather cottons will, of course, be produced.

In processes, in which an artificial resin lm is formed for making the feathers moisture-proof by utilizing the gelatinous substance inherentin the feather, the feather is liable tobecome so brittle as to be easily crushed or destroyed making `the permanent and eectiveutilization of feather cottons impossible. `In my present in' vention, however, only a Very small amount of cementing agent for the. curving of the feather and the most part of the agent for forming the waterproof lm is supplied externally and prevents the feathers fromr becoming brittle and undurable. In addition to this characteristic, the mixture serves to increaseV the softness and elasticity of the feather.

A manner of carrying out my invention will be explained in the followingz- 40 The roller cylinder I is previously heated over degrees C. and the smaller roller cylinder 2 is cooled below 10 degrees C. The feathers are first Washed, disinfected and partially vdried f by ordinary method, and then are longitudinally passed between the hot roller l and the cold roller 2 to be pressed and attened. Here thel feathers are heated on one side by the larger roller and are cooled on the other side by the smaller roller Zand are curved or warped according to the curvature of the cold roller 2 and the stem of the feather loses the stiffness and becomes elastic and flexible. After such treatments the feathers are put in a closed chamber and subjected to a temperature of about 100 de- 55 grees C. for about thirty minutes, and then a mixed solution containing 1200 grams of water, 30 grains of gelatine, 60 grams of glycerine nad 30 grams of 40% formalin is sprayed over the feathers so as to be absorbed by the same, and forming the desired film as above mentioned. Thus the finished feather cottons maintain the permanent elasticity, expansibility, durability and toughness and are free of worms and from brittleness.

I claim: c

1. A method of curling feathers used as filling for cushions and mattresseswhich.consists in subjectingthe feathers while moving the -same lengthwise to direct pressure between two oppositely curved surfaces of different radius of curvature and at the same timeheating one'side of the feathers and cooling the other side.

2. A method of curling feathers used as filling fory cushions and mattresses, which consists in `subjecting *theV feathers while moving the same lengthwise todirect pressure between two oppositely curved surfaces o f different radius of curvature and at the same timeheating the curved surfacehaving the greater radius of curvature and cooling the curved surface having the smaller radius of curvature.

3. In an apparatus for curling'feathers used as filling for cushions and mattresses, a pair of rotatable rollers having 'cylindrical circumferential surfaces, said rollers being arranged with their periphery adjacent each other so as to subject feathers introduced between said rollers to pressure, means for heating one of said rollers, and means for cooling the other roller.

4. In an apparatus for curling feathers used as lling for cushions and mattresses, a pair of rotatable rollers having cylindrical circumferential surfaces, said rollers being arranged with their periphery adjacent each other so as to subject feathers introduced between said rollers to pressure, means for heating one of said rollers, means for cooling the other roller, and means for rotating each roller independently of the other.

5. In an apparatus for curling feathers used as filling for cushions and mattresses a pair of rotatable rollers having cylindrical circumferential surfaces, said rollers being arranged with their periphery adjacent each other so as to subject feathers introduced between said rollers to pressure, one of said rollers having a greater diameter than the other, means for heating the roller having the larger diameter, and means for cooling the other roller.

6. In an apparatus for curling feathers used as filling for cushions and mattresses, Va pair of rotatable rollers arranged with their periphery adjacent each other so as to subject feathers `introduced between said rollers to pressure, one 

